Gates of Terabithia
by Guardian Kitch
Summary: Jesse Aarons has died, and it's been left to May Belle, Princess of Terabithia, to give his eulogy. To expose just how special her brother truly was, she decides to reveal the biggest secret she's ever kept. As May Belle reveals her brother's ultimate secret, the King of Terabithia returns home to his kingdom, only to find he's not alone at the Gates of Terabithia...


**Okay, this is a scene I devised a few months ago and will strictly be a one-shot. Jesse has died, and it's up to May Belle to give the eulogy at his funeral, revealing, in the process, what, exactly has made her brother so special. There's also a scene with Jesse at the end, so let me know what ya'll think. This strictly follows the movie, and, of course, I don't own _Bridge to Terabithia _or any of the characters.**

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_**The Gates of Terabithia**_

It looked like a thousand other churches spread across the United States: a small building with beautiful, white sides that shone brightly in the sunlight, a humble, brown roof, a white and brown steeple complete with a bell and a beautiful white cross at the top of the steeple. Like a thousand other churches spread across America, it housed a small but fiercely loyal congregation, a small population of men, women, and children who were there every Wednesday afternoon, Sunday morning, and Sunday evening. Yes, it was like a thousand other churches all across, but here, today, on this cloudy, windy Friday, among the thousands of similar churches around America, this small white church in Lark Creek, Virginia, was the most special, the most hallowed ground, that the 21-year old, brown-haired, brown-eyed, petite, slightly chubby young woman knew to exist anywhere in the world. It was also, she added silently, as she stood up from the front pew, the saddest.

In front of her the pulpit was empty, waiting, beckoning her forward silently. At the base of the pulpit, covered in flowers and wreaths, was a shining brown, wooden casket, the left half of the lid open to allow the silent mass of over a hundred men and women to pay their final respects to the body lying inside.

She stopped as she moved passed the casket, her right leg on the first of the three small steps that would take her up to the pulpit, her head now turned to her left as she momentarily allowed her gaze to settle over the still form of the young man inside, his eyes shut, never to move again. A great swell of sadness welled up inside of her as she felt her heart beginning to snap into two pieces once again. A tear fell down her pudgy cheek and dripped onto the shoulder of her mournful black dress as she moved forward, climbing those small, short steps to the podium from which she was set to speak.

As she unfolded the small, single sheet of paper that was clenched tightly in her left hand, she lifted her head and looked out among the sea of people, many of whom she'd known for almost her entire life. As she placed the sheet of paper onto the pulpit her gaze came to a stop of the form of a man who, despite his age, was still as tall, proud, and strong as she could ever remember. His dark eyes, always a mystery that could not be read, were now open plainly, full of something that looked a great deal like regret, regret of time not spent, opportunities not taken...words never spoken. Here and now, with the one person whom she loved most of all gone from her, she spoke those words.

"I don't think anyone every fully understood just what a special person my brother really was. For most of his childhood he was always focused on his art and being the fastest kid in the class. He never made many friends in school, and he was always seen as the outcast, both at school and at home…I suppose being the only boy out of five kids wasn't the easiest lot one could be given in life.

"For as long as I can remember, I loved Jesse, perhaps because I, too, felt like I had no real place in the family. I was the middle girl, and so often I felt as though I was also being ignored. Like so many little sisters might do, I worshiped him and everything he did. I'd always watch him on the playground during recess, cheering him on during those schoolboy races, excited when he won and crushed when he'd loose. However, not even I knew just how special Jesse Aarons really was, not until the end of his fifth grade year, following the death of his very best friend, Leslie Burke.

"Even though I was but a little girl at the time, I knew there was something between the two of them, the way his eyes lit up when they were together, the happiness he seemed to radiate when you simply said her name. He tried to act normal, of course, he _was _a boy after all, but I could still see it, and I think everyone else could too. Kindred souls, some might say, two outcasts finding solace in one another, but still, there _was _something there, something beautiful

and pure.

"When Leslie drowned that day, so long ago, something broke deep inside of Jesse. I was too young to understand it back then, of course, but now, looking back, it was as though his soul itself had died right along with her. I can still remember the look in his eyes that day, of the haunting pain that never fully left. It was, to me, more frightening than any child's nightmare.

"Not long after Leslie's death, I followed Jesse into the woods, to the same creek Leslie had died trying to swing across, and, like my older brother, I crossed on a tree that had fallen over the creek. Being the little girl I was, naturally I slipped, finding myself about to share Leslie's fate. I got lucky, though; Jesse found me and pulled me to safety, and, then, between fear for me and grief for Leslie, he told me to go home, that he didn't want me there, and, to emphasize his point, he pushed me. And, as with all little girls who find out there hero's not infallible, it crushed me."

May Belle paused, wiping a tear from her face and smiling sadly at the memory of what had happened next.

"What Jesse did next, though, to make up for what he'd done…even now, twenty years later, no one's ever done anything so kind, so pure, for me.

"Jesse came into my room one day, while I was playing with my Barbie dolls, and he said he had a surprise for me. Said it was a secret between us and that I couldn't tell no one, not Brenda, not Ellie, not even Joyce, that she wasn't ready to be a princess. I thought perhaps he was just saying that to get me to come with him, which, of course, I did. There was no way I could ever have known what he would show me out there in those woods.

"He and Leslie, over the course of their brief but perfect friendship, had imagined this entirely different world, a place they called Terabithia. It existed solely in their mind, of course, and the land wasn't ours, but it was still as real as anything I've ever known. For a seven year-old girl, being named princess of an entire kingdom, whether it's real or imaginary, is among the greatest gifts anyone can give you. Looking back, I know this all sounds incredibly stupid, but it was perfect, as pure as freshly-fallen winter snow. It also showed me just how special my big brother really was. He'd built a bridge all by himself, spanning the creek, which I believe he did to honor Leslie's memory, to ensure that what happened to her never happened to anyone else. And, to show his little sister how sorry he was, how much he loved her, he opened up such a sacred secret, such an innocent love, and allowed me to be part of it.

"Terabithia might have existed only in the far reaches of our minds, but for Jesse, Leslie, and, in the end, me, it was as close to Heaven as we could get, a place where we weren't outcasts but instead royalty. No one will ever fully understand what kind of heart it takes to create something so deep, something so beautifully innocent, especially in the world we live in today. I experienced Terabithia firsthand and _I'm _still taken aback by it at times.

"I expect this sounds cliché, but Jesse Aarons _did _have a beautiful, pure soul, a heart made of gold. He showed true, outstanding courage after Leslie's death, moving on with his life, though he did always hold himself responsible for what happened to Leslie. But, he continued living life, as he knew she'd want him to, looking forward to the day they were reunited once more.

"Jesse Aarons was a wonderful human being, a devoted friend, and the best big brother any girl, young or old, could ever have asked for. Following my arrival in Terabithia, he was there for me through thick and through thin, supporting me in whatever I did and holding me when I needed a shoulder to cry on. No one on this planet is perfect, but Jesse came close enough for me.

"He always said the world felt a bit dimmer following Leslie's death, but now…" She paused, allowing more tears to fall down her cheeks. "Now it feels as though the sun itself has died along with Jesse."

She folded up the piece of paper she'd been reading from once more and then descended the steps from the pulpit again, moving now to stand directly in front of her brother's casket, looking down at his unmoving face.

"Nothing crushes us, my king," She said, her voice just loud enough to be heard by the silent gathering of mourners. "Not even death." And now the tears refused to slow down as they escaped her eyes.

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Leslie Burke, Queen of Terabithia, stood at the edge of her kingdom's signature bridge, smiling as the oncoming form grew ever clearer through the morning fog. All around her the subjects of their beloved kingdom gathered, excitedly cheering as their king began to stride across the bridge.

Jesse Aarons, King of Terabithia, crossed silently across the bridge to Terabithia, stopping only once he was inches from the best friend he'd ever known, confusion etched into his face as he began to look around in bewilderment.

"Leslie, you're…you're here."

"Of course I'm here." She laughed. "I never left."

"Are you real?" He asked. Leslie, in turn, reached forward and pressed her lips firmly against his.

"Welcome home, Jesse." She whispered as she broke the embrace.

"Leslie, about what happened-"

"Relax Jesse, it wasn't your fault."

"Yeah it was. I should have invited you-"

"And I should have went back when I saw how high the creek was. The important thing, though, is that we're together, here and now, where we belong."

"Leslie, there's something I should have told you the night we went after my dad's keys, something I've regretted all these years."

"Yeah?"

Jesse, in response, reached over and kissed his queen, and in that instant he knew she knew.

"I love you too." She answered as all around them the Terabithians celebrated the reunion of their beloved queen and king.

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**Okay, so be honest, what'd you guys think? I do have a second _Bridge to Terabithia _fic in the works, and it should be up within the next couple of doors, so click the Author Alert button below to receive an automatic notification once it's up.**


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